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What exactly are HOA dues, and can an HOA raise dues without notice? In this article, we’ll explain what HOA dues are, HOA fee increase limits, and five benefits of small, regular increases.

What did you want to be when you grew up? Like many children, you may have dreamed of becoming a doctor, teacher, firefighter, pilot, basketball player, ballerina or policeman. Maybe you wanted to be a movie actor, astronaut, rock star or even the president. But we’re guessing there are a few professions that probably didn’t make your short list… property manager or community association manager (CAM).

The relationship between a community and its property management company is like most relationships in your life: its success hinges on communication.

You've heard the terms reasonable accommodation and reasonable modification before. But do you know the specific definitions of the terms and how they apply to your association?

What does the future hold? Unfortunately, not the jet packs and flying cars we all thought we’d have, but there are important changes in practice and perspective in store for community association governance. To get at the heart of these upcoming changes and trends, Common Ground , an official publication of Community Associations Institute (CAI), brought 50 experts, members and stakeholders together to paint a picture of the future. The results from this panel have been published in the March/April 2016 edition of this publication. We’ve summarized the high points for you in this article, and we’ve added some insight from FirstService Residential, too.

Owning a home within a homeowner's association (HOA) comes with the advantage of having a supportive association that takes care of maintaining common areas and promoting a sense of order within the community.

If you’re on the board of a condo, co-op, high-rise or HOA, you know that managing your community’s budget is a major priority. You’ve likely explored many ways to save money and get the best deals, while still maintaining a high level of service.

Unless you live in an area where it hardly ever rains (in which case you have a whole other set of problems), drainage will be an issue in your community. Proper drainage is, of course, the answer, but getting there means you have to meet stringent requirements throughout different areas of your community.

The best property management companies agree that meticulously groomed landscaping is vital to enhance your property’s curb appeal. Industry research shows that investing in green spaces is among the top five property improvements that increase ROI return on investment for homeowners, communities and homeowner associations. It is clear that selecting the proper landscaping company is of the utmost importance, but how do you determine which company is right for your community?

We’ve got the scoop on how to get a mortgage loan, so read on for our top six tips to increase your chances.

The dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke are well known, and tobacco use is now the leading cause of disease and preventable death in the United States. But smoking doesn’t just impact our personal health – it also affects the buildings we live in, potentially increasing the risks of fire and property damage, raising insurance costs, increasing legal liability and more. In addition, property management companies, condominium associations and property owners often field complaints from homeowners about how smoking doesn’t just affect their health and safety, but also their lifestyle – issues like secondhand smoke drifting into their units, increased litter and fire hazards from discarded cigarette butts, smelly and unsightly ashtrays ruining the aesthetics of common areas, and more.

It’s that time of year again – there’s a noticeable nip in the air, trees are losing their leaves and stores are starting to display their holiday swag. That can only mean one thing – winter is right around the corner. If your HOA is located in an area affected by wintry weather, we probably don’t need to remind you about last year’s Arctic-level freeze. Some of the coldest-ever temperatures were recorded in many parts of the country – and if you heed the predictions in the Old Farmer’s Almanac , you know that this year promises to be even more frigid. Is your community prepared to handle the upcoming chill? Here are some tips to help your homeowners association winterize your community, no matter what surprises the season may bring.

How can I get the best service for my property? That’s a question community associations wrestle with regularly. Some self-managed community associations believe they can’t afford to hire a professional property management company to manage and maintain their community’s operations, assets, finances, common areas and other day-to-day activities.

In this article, we will explore the key aspects of transitioning to a new property management company and discuss the best ways that the chosen company can support your community throughout the process.

Congratulations! You just bought a new home and it’s perfect for your family – just the right size, condition, location and neighborhood to meet your needs. Your new home is part of a homeowners’ association (HOA), which means you will pay HOA fees. What is an HOA fee? What do they pay for?

Whether you're on the board of a high-rise or community association. you want to hire a property management company that will provide the best service for their community. What does that really mean?

The chief responsibility of a community association board member is to preserve, protect and enhance the community. That includes, above all else, its financial health. But you can’t affect the financial health of your community if you don’t understand where it is when you join the board. Balance sheets are the best tool for gaining that basic understanding.

Community association management is an industry filled with diversity. You'll find people from all walks of life who have chosen it as a career path, and all for their own personal reasons. What is the one commonality? It's easy to love what they do!

Finding a property management company to partner with your board isn’t easy. Find out how we can help you.

Read on for more about how to best complete your next annual association budget, a budget that will enhance your property values and improve your residents’ lives.

Beautiful landscaping is integral to any community. The right community landscaping can enhance your property values and make the area more enticing to prospective homebuyers and residents. Whether you’re investing for the first time or revamping your community landscaping, here are four considerations to keep in mind when choosing what to plant, when to plant and how to maintain what you’ve planted.

Nothing bites into your budget like maintenance issues. Whether it’s the grounds keeping and upkeep that you pay for on a regular basis or those surprise projects (natural disasters, anyone?) that sneak up on you, maintenance can account for an average of 25% or more of your overall expenditures.

Whether you are a recent graduate contemplating your career path or a seasoned professional seeking a change, delving into the realm of property management can offer a fulfilling and potentially rewarding journey.

Your community or condominium association is there to protect the interests of all of its members. However, there may be situations when one or more residents don’t believe that the association is on their side. Hopefully, everyone involved can come to a reasonable solution, but if you can’t, it’s possible that your association – and even your board members – could become the target of a lawsuit.